Discovering italy by design

     I never had designs on Italy.  At 60 and divorced, I’d never even been there, but I’d always wanted to go.  I had a friend who had recently settled in Tuscany.  I was delighting in her descriptions of her little village and her charming home.  I am obsessed with looking at properties all over the place.  Realtor.com is my fix.  So her excitement lead me to investigate the Italian version of Realtor, just to see what was there.  It’s called Idealista.it, and it is a treasure trove of real estate “candy”!

     Generously, she extended an open invitation.  I jumped at the chance!   After a few travel mishaps, I finally arrived in Bagnone (pronounced ban-yo-nay), her village in northwest Tuscany, at 11:00 pm.  I couldn’t see much because it was dark, but it was thrilling.

     Over the next week, I experienced the beauty of Italy.  The stunning landscapes.  The kind people.  The delicious food and wine.  The slow pace.  Charming rivers and waterfalls.  The history. Oh, the history!  There’s nothing like it here in the US.  Castles built 1000+ years ago.    Cobblestone streets where ancient royalty have walked.  Centuries-old bridges and monuments.    

     I fell in love. I became entangled in the allure of Italy.  The romantic idea of spending time there.  The unattainable dream of many others like me.  The farfetched notion of owning property in that magical corner of the world.  And I leaped into to the improbable and unlikely.  And here’s how it all went down.